GM/DM Help

>>52902729

When is a DMPC ok?

>>52902858
When you realize that you didn't properly modulate the difficulty of the session for the party (say, if your healer canceled last minute in a trap filled maze).

When the DMPC is actually the BBEG in disguise.

When you're good enough at writing and portraying the character that your players enjoy having them around.

>>52902858
Never.

>>52902858
Just don't give them the best crap, don't let them outshine the pcs and do things they can't, don't let them be the hero who lands the final blow on the villain, don't let them railroad the players, and don't make them the leader. That's about all I have for now

>>52902858

When your party is ok with one.

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How do you get better at dialog?

>>52903663
Seconding this

>>52903663
>>52903814
how do you mean? like writing it or actually talking as the character

>>52903663
Define "better at dialogue". What is the specific problem you are having?

>>52903663
It starts with figuring out who the character you're portraying is.
Then figure out what they want.
Then, imagine that you're that person and want that thing.
Then say what you would say in that context.

You can get more advanced with it, but I think that's a good baseline for most people

I have no idea what I'm doing and my players are novices. I've got the GURPs book and I'm putting in the prep work to have a little quest for the players to go after but I'm afraid it's gonna be awful because I've literally never done this before.

>>52903852
>>52903858

I guess my big hurdle is with unexpected dialog, like if the PCs throw a question/response that's really out of left field or I need to make a new NPC up on the spot.

>>52903896
watch some videos on it, be confident and theres no way in hell you will be able to think of everything they can do so you're going to have to just roll with it sometimes and move encounters if you have to

>>52902858
When the party needs a guide or a mascot.
> say a local basketweaver that is looking for glory alongside the PC's.
> worst case; if the players shows signs of not enjoying your NPC, just let him die on the road.

>>52903915
just having a random backlog of npc's you can throw in if you need to as for them randomly asking questions if its not too important just make something up

>>52903896
chill dude. not gonna be perfect but if you try hard your players will appreciate it. if you mess up just keep going.

>>52903915
What's the part that you have trouble with? Is it having the answer to question you didn't expect, or is it having a specific NPC in mind for every Joe Blow Farmer your party wants to talk to?

Are there any tips or tricks at improving my ability to describe things? I'd like to be able to describe a setting to my players so that they can visualize it. I also would like to be able narrate npcs so they feel somewhat real and lively instead of one dimensional

>>52904165
>descriptions
Write them out in advance.

>narrate NPCs
Practise. That's really the only way to get better at it.

>>52902729
How do you train stupid players to not do stupid shit? I've tried mentioning the game is lethal beforehand, and got everyone on board. I've followed through with my threats. It's like punching a marshmallow. They just cheerfully roll up new characters to replace the old ones, who will last about as long: Most characters live on average about 1 and a half sessions so far, which could easily triple if they stopped doing things like insulting people vastly more powerful than they are, frontally assaulting (because we'd get more loot and XP!) areas they know they have backdoors into, and never coordinating anything with any of the NPC allies they do have.

I wanted to go for a "death is ever-present, so you have to be careful" vibe. What I've got is a game where nobody is on less than their 4th character.

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>>52902858
As a mouthpiece, a guide, side kick, quest giver or mentor.
Seriously, having someone who can talk to the pcs regularly is a godsend for if they get stuck or severely misunderstand something you were trying to convey.
Basically, a dmpc should be the WD-40 of your campaign: if things get stuck, they help unstick them. They don't outshine the pcs, they assist them.
Obi-Wan Kenobi is a good dmpc. He gives guidance and information, helps the crew out of a tight spot but never outshines them, and has the good graces to die when the pcs are ready to be on their own.

>>52903915
Think of a few broad character traits, then play to those.
For example: hay seed farmer, very religious, stammers around pretty women. He says "Gods be praised" every few sentences, and when the cute Paladin asks him a question mention that he flushes and stumble over your words a little.
Also, think of an actor you like. Do an impression of them. "Casting" your npcs can be fun, and a bad impression makes a great new character!

>>52904259
Maybe instead of dropping them for insulting powerful people you could throw them in jail so they have to escape, or turn them into gladiator type slaves who fight for entertainment until they get out?

Maybe have the NPCs try to coordinate with the PCs and ask them to formulate a plan.

For the frontal assault, maybe have a scouting party spot them before they get there and chase them off so that they know that the front is impossible?

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>>52903896
The big thing is to never have a plan for how the players are going to do things.

Especially if it's your first time, you're going to be tempted to put in a little set piece, or to have a sequence prepared, or an interactive cutscene. Resist that urge.

If you look at all the greentexts that get shared around here, what you see is that all players remember are the awesome things they did, or how they had a sick come back to that dude, or how he totally broke the system and came up with a great hack. Nobody really is impressed by anything you do.

Tabletop games aren't like videogames, where you have to create something fun for people. In TTRPGs players make their own fun. The best way to facilitate this is to set up a bunch of pieces, and let the players interact and mess with them as they see fit.

This is especially true with GURPS, which is focuses on simulating something approximating reality. Real life doesn't have set pieces and neither should you. Be creative and improvise, and you'll be golden.

>>52904492
In other words, railroad them out of the natural consequences of their actions. I guess that's one route, but it was one I was hoping not to have to take.

>>52902729
So my players are coming back to roleplaying after a long break. Out of 4, only 1 is an experienced roleplayer, and 1 more has background in tabletop games.
Each player has built a PC that they are comfortable with, but in past games they have tended to speak player to player, rather than in character, leaving each PC feeling like simply a reflection of their player, rather than a person with values, goals, and flaws.

I want to help my 3 newbies come out of their shells. One of my ideas is before next session I'll have them fill out a dating profile. What does your PC see as an ideal date? Where do they see themselves in 5 years? What animal do they most identify with?

Any ideas for questions, or how to keep this fun and light while also giving myself and them useful roleplaying information? They have come really far as players and I just want to help them be as awesome as I think they could be.

TL;DR, if you could ask your PC's any questions, what would they be?

thanks

>>52902729
>>>52902858
>As a mouthpiece, a guide, side kick, quest giver or mentor.
>Basically, a dmpc should be the WD-40 of your campaign: if things get stuck, they help unstick them. They don't outshine the pcs, they assist them.
This.
Seriously, how do people not get this? I almost always make my NPCs noncombat, because trying to fight myself while fighting against the party that I'm fighting with always hurts my brain. Even when I have combat NPCs I usually forget to use them.

>Obi-Wan Kenobi is a good dmpc. He gives guidance and information, helps the crew out of a tight spot but never outshines them, and has the good graces to die when the pcs are ready to be on their own
I'm stealing this analogy.

>>52903862
I like this a lot.
I find myself tending towards fewer characters in my stories, but each being more unique. Try to put yourself in their mind, and then improv will be easier.

>>52904259
Make them care about their PC's. Make them love them, root for them, and give them second chances when things go badly. Make it gut-wrenching when they realize they don't get a third chance.
You can do it Anon

>>52904492
>For the frontal assault, maybe have a scouting party spot them before they get there and chase them off so that they know that the front is impossible?

>implying PCs will ever retreat from a battle

>>52904559
That isn't railroading them. They can try to resist being arrested or just run away and you should make it to where if they're clever, the can get away.

The npc wanting to coordinate with them just wants to make it out alive. Maybe have them ask the players what their plan is or what they (the npc) should do.

Just because a scouting party found them doesn't mean they have to run away, maybe they can kill them and make disguises, maybe they decide to go guns blazing even though the enemy is on high alert, or something else.

These are just other options that are different then"you all were retarded, now you're ded lol"

>>52904521
I actually love that approach when applied to video games as well. I hate cutscenes and I think oblivion was a mistake.

I posted this in another thread, but now that this one is here, might as well:

Has anyone ever ran a game for a couple? How'd that go? I've been asked to run a game for a friend and his fiancee, both have played before in my campaigns, but my gut tells me this might not be such a good idea.

>>52904933
Yeah, it was great. I ran a game for two couples that was a lot of fun, and I've run sessions for various pairs at various times too.
Really, if you're friends with both of them it should be fine. Are you worried about being a third wheel or what?

>>52905086
How was the threesome?

>>52904933
Depends on the couple. If they usually get along in game you will be fine.

>>52905086
>Are you worried about being a third wheel or what?
Not really, I'm not really sure what I'm worried about. Probably conflict and conflict resolution, their characters tend to be at odds with each other, not a problem when there's a 5 player party, but if it's just two of them that might take center stage.

I'm pretty much set on agreeing, just wanted to know if there was something to be wary about and what other people's experiences were.

I need to make a very short one shot (2/3 hours) for a post apocalyptic settings (Atomic Highway is the system) I have absolutly no idea what to do and where to begin with. What plot hook could I give to the players?

>>52904165
You need to find a middle ground, don't be to extensive or it will be boring but don't make them to short or it will be very bland. like this anon said>>52904193 write them in advance but only if you are sure to use them during the session

>>52904165
Show, don't tell. Don't describe a bedroom like you're going through and IKEA catalogue: "there's a bed against the wall and next to a dresser. There's a window on the east side."

Instead: "sun streams through the window onto a bed nestled between a dresser and the wall."

Also, try to limit descriptions. I'd say the average person can only take 3 pieces of information about a a visualisation before they zone out/get confused. Nothing is going to prevent that, it's just a limitation of most people's ability to visualise things. Just set the scene quickly with something everyone can relate to and that people can instantly invoke in their minds ("the room is a mess") and fill in details as the players explore. Players don't need to know every single detail of a scene, nor do they need to share exactly what you're seeing your mind.

>>52902858
Generally speaking, when the PCs decide to make an NPC a equal party member. Hirelings are not DMPCs, for example.

>>52903896
Try to have fun. If the current adventure is not going anywhere, like there's no leads to a new thing after the complete the dungeon and beat the baddie, give them a few months of rest. Ask them what they would do, maybe reward them a little bit. Then introduce a new adventure. Maybe in another part of the world!

>>52904165
Figure out what kind of descriptions you like. Watch narrative shows, even DnD shows, take inspiration from those.

>>52904259
Reward non aggressive play. Show them that frontal assault leads to the enemy coward or leader running away with most of the loot. They accidentally destroy the treasure because of their crazy actions.
The biggest part of this is not on your hands, but your players. If they are not invested in their characters, you can't force them to take interest in their PCs without breaking the game.

>>52904561
The dating thing might put your players off unless you're ERPing.
Tell them "you can't do this much planning OOCly". Ask them "what is your character doing here? How does he feel about this?" (at least vaguely related to his character's personality or backstory, or how he plays them)

>>52904933
I've ran several games featuring couples. I don't think it would work well if it is only you and them (party dynamic may be weird). With one or two other players it should be fine unless they are weird people.

>>52907673
Building on this, there are really 3 main sections of a description: Setting the scene, appeal to the senses and then the call to action (these are just what I found to work, you may find differently).

-Setting the scene
This is a quick sentence or two that pretty much sums up the feeling you're trying to go for. You could theoretically finish your description here and your players would still be on the same page. The idea is to really hook your players in with evocative language, while still being generic enough that they conjure up a scene for themselves in their mind.
>"As you enter the tavern, you are almost knocked to your feet by the sound of raucous laughter and cheery music."
>"The moon casts an eerie glow over the cemetery."

-Appeal to the senses
Now you can start to fill in the specifics. This part is mostly filler, but helps the pacing of a description and builds on what you established in the first part. Try to branch out and hit different senses for some variety.
>"Frazzled barmaids bustle between tables, laden down with trays of dark beer. In the fire pit stands a whole boar roasting on a spit, its heady aroma and crackling skin enticing you further in."
>"There is a thick fog that creeps under your clothes and sticks to your skin. The rusted gates screech open as you push against them, the old metal flaking between your fingers."

-Call to action
This is one is important and is something that is entirely optional, but greatly helps. This sentence nudges your players in a direction. People are just more likely to listen to the last thing they heard, so if you put something important here, players are more likely to go check it out/interact with it. It also helps to mark that you've ended your narration and you're throwing it back to the players.
>"Next to you, a large barman winks at you and fills a couple of tankards."
>"On the top of a small hill in the center stands a statue of King Leo III staring down at you with eyes of cold marble"

Strange question I have a few players who are too scared to do any challenge in fear of losing their characters so it puts me in a very odd position.

Because they always run away from traps and monsters if they lose HP at all. How can I solve this? I'm not even a Killer GM I don't got the guys and I always fudge rolls so they don't get fucked. I'm honestly at a loss and I've tried a lot of things.

>>52908488
Guts* and I have the opposite of Munchkins they are scared of everything

>>52908488
Maybe try raising the stakes for them so that failing an objective is worse than being hurt?
>Mom has come down with desert fever and the only cure for her is retrieving a sand pearl from the nearby antlion cave?
Either mommy is gonna die or the PCs are gonna grow a pair and get that damn pearl no matter what

>>52908971
Huh I never would of thought of that holy shit that makes sense. I'm gonna think of different ways to get raise stakes now.

New-ish GM here, running an open-world Pathfinder game for four. Gave them a starting point, plothooks, let them get the feel of the setting etc. and they throwed me a bunch of ideas as well as their backstories, so basically when they made their character, their backstories gave me ideas to make them 'objectives'.

Many fun times were had, and they love it that they can bump into people/places from their backstory; essentially they filled in the blanks I left open in the setting.

Except That Girl. She gave a very vague background. Usually is quiet, but with a little coaxing she can roleplay her character well. But for 3-4 sessions she's literally just saying 4-5 sentences per game, doesn't cast spells, nor use the class' abilities (plays an Inquisitor). She made a decent character stat-wise, but can't play it. To the point of me having to help her out with the modifiers constantly, and got to the point, that I just ignored reminding her X+3rd time that she needs to reload the crossbow to be able to shoot again.
I even literally threw in a repeating crossbow into the game as part of the loot they got from a tomb's trophy room they cleared out to solve that problem. Turned out she wouldn't want to take it, because it would be stealing/dishonorable (She's chaotic good though).

In all seriousness: I'm reluctant to kick her out, since it would sour the mood for the rest. So how can I get her more involved with the game, that she would bother to put in more effort?

>>52904259
You could try going easy on the difficulty for a few sessions, before cranking it up. I usually get pretty invested in my characters, but it takes time, and if they're all dead or dying every session there's no incentive to get attached to them.

>>52902858
A DMPC is not the same as a dmpc.
That said, most of the people on /tg/ are misanthropes who automatically assume any npc that accompanies the party is something nefarious.
You don't saddle a npc with the party if the party doesn't want them there, and if they are there, then they don't take the spotlight. They do their thing in a scrap, they make rolls when prompted by the party, but always realize they are supporting cast, not the star.
>>52909424
Pull her aside and tell her in no short words she needs to step it up.
You clearly have a baseline expectation of investment, as most GMs do, and she isn't meeting it. The quiet thing is a small issue, I have a quiet player in my game and that can be massaged out by asking her directly what she would like to do in a situation, but being unable to manage her own character is beyond the pale.
To answer your question, you can't make a player get more involved, they need to bring that themselves 9.5/10 times, so tell her to either actually play the game, and that means being able to do the math, understand how her pc works and the basic mechanics, or decide if this is a game she wants to play in because it only gets harder.
>also, NEVER be afraid to kick a player
>ever

>>52909424
Have you tried talking to her? Like mano-a-mano? Maybe there's some issue.

The alternative that I've tried is to find some plot device to split the party, and do a shorter solo backstory-related mission in ones or twos. Less people in the party means she'll have to come out of her shell a little (although don't force this if it doesn't seem to be working)

>>52909424
I had that problem once. I just treated the player as a non entity, made no plot hooks for their character, stopped helping them on their turns etc. They left eventually by themselves and no one else minded.

And yes, I did try talking to them about it. I even made a whole side quest for their character, but they never took the bait in game (even though out of game I explictly told them what the hook would be).

>>52909584
>do a shorter solo backstory-related mission in ones or twos
This can go a long way, but I've had it backfire when dealing with type A personalities (when they didn't have anyone to blame for failure except themselves) and people with anxiety problems (who are also often type A).
>>52909716
I agree and don't with this. Personally, I'd rather ask them to leave than take a rather passive aggressive approach. I value a face forward confrontation and resolution.
>>52909424
Exactly how does the group feel about her? Have you asked them individually?

>>52909573
>>52909584

Already talked to her, asked her whether there was an issue, or is there something I can tweak to make it more to her liking, but she said everything was fine. Giving her the benefit of the doubt, I think she's just a bit too shy or a tad introvert.

>The alternative that I've tried is to find some plot device to split the party, and do a shorter solo backstory-related mission in ones or twos. Less people in the party means she'll have to come out of her shell a little (although don't force this if it doesn't seem to be working)

That... is actually a pretty good idea. Cheers!

>>52909755
>she said everything was fine
And this is your blaring klaxon.
She thinks what she is doing is alright, when it is patently not, and you clearly didn't tell her that.
You dun goofed.

>>52909750

The Group, are all too damn nice people for their own good, and try to keep her involved, and give her a bit of spotlight if she goes too quiet. That's why I'm reluctant to just kick her out.

>>52909797
That's why you gotta hit them up 1v1.
They are trying to accommodate, but all she has really learned is what she is doing is alright, and she doesn't need to try any harder than what she is.
You have watched the molding of a bad player.

>>52909783
>>52909857
Well, feck, on hindsight, I really dun goofed. Hopefully will manage to salvage it. Cheers.

>>52909975
Good luck to ya.

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How do I rationalize moving horizontally (west-east) on a hex map?

I want to do a session like a hexcrawl, but I don't want my players to feel like they are on a game board with movement restrictions.

>>52910215
Hexes imply miles crossed, not a 1 to 1 representation of real life.
Crossing a hex 2 miles across is 2 miles no matter where you end up on the other side.
You are overthinking it, anon.

>>52902729
I'm trying to make NPCs for my game, but they all seem cardboard-ish to me. I feel like I don't understand what they're supposed to be and what they do for living.
That said, what should I read to get a grasp on a live of naval officer/sea captain? Medieval period is preferrable.

>>52910353
Help me simplify it then please.

I'm thinking my players will move from an hex center to the next hex center, and say that those two points are at 1mile distance.

If they decide to just keep going 1 mile east, do I describe the content of the hex above, or the one below?

>>52910420
What exactly about them are you struggling with? If they own a boat then they sail for a living. Maybe they transport cargo or people, maybe they're a naval ship, explorers, pirates, anything of that sort.

>>52910420
>Columbus' Logbook
>The Discovery of Slowness

>>52910420
I honestly wouldn't worry about it too much. Chances are your players won't give two shits, and even if they do you might be able to spin some stuff together on the fly (or the NPC might not want to tell them straight away, I mean why would they?)

I'd say the important thing is to get the 'character' right. Get a few mannerisms, opinions or quirks on each npc and you're good to go. History can be tacked on later if the players get curious for some reason.

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Hey /tg/ I'm a first timer GM that's actually starting my first campaign this friday and there's a few things I'm worried about in regards of just DMing in general for 5e.

I have an.. interesting group of players to say the least.
>One always wants to have max stats, and hates having stats lower than a +4 ((His highest on his sheet is a +3 and he has three of them after picking his race)) and also has two flat 10s (Playing as an Artificer 5e)
>Another is basically fine with everything that they get and makes interesting characters (( A woman who fought in a mimic outbreak and beat them to death with a rolling pin, which is her weapon [Fighter] ))
>And the last one is my best friend who is currently undecided.

My problem is that I don't know if this is enough players to play Black Fang Dungeon and The Tales of the Yawning Portal.

Should I bring in a DMPC? Should I try to get more players in? I want them to have fun but I'm not sure if I'd ruin it by bringing a DMPC in.

>>52910609
You got this, man. If your friend won't play a more support oriented character, jst throw some healing potions at them and maybe scale down the encounters a little. You'll be way too preoccupied with dming to run a pc.

>>52910441
>What exactly about them are you struggling with?
How do I give an impression of competence?
>>52910479
Thank you
>>52910527
I don't know much about medieval navy mannerisms, but that's good advice, thank you

>>52910679
By having decent general knowledge? I know fuck all about boats and just describe them in simple terms. One of my players tries to be a total know it all and keeps asking what type of boat it is and all I say is "a big one" or "a small one". It's the same with blacksmithing, I don't have specific real world knowledge, but I can give decent enough descriptions based on generic things.

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>>52910743
Got you.

>>52902729
How do i get over the fact that I'm basically a prostitute and I'll never enjoy myself blowing these edgelords.

>>52910440
You alternate or use the one you feel is best according to your prerogative.

>>52910609
There is little really wrong with an npc healer, anon, despite what /tg/ says.
Do remember this board is full of salty outliers, most of whom don't actually play pnp games or have no groups.
>>52910959
By cutting the chaff and finding new players.

>>52909301
Awesome! Glad to help anon! :^)

I honestly don't know how to be a good DM

I write decent albeit generic plots, I have a wide range of NPCs which I express well and my ability to design and balance encounters is second to none

All the above is feedback I've had from my players, but they still don't enjoy my campaigns because I fail to engage them

I doubt there's any actual solution, I just want to be sad

can someone give me a 1:1 scale battle grid for D&D? I am making tokens to serve as miniatures and need comparisons.

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>>52911044
Have you asked your players what they want to play? Sounds like you're running something they're not interested in, however good it is.

Try a new genre, maybe?

>>52910967
I see. So you need to go with abstraction and that's it. Thanks anyway.

>>52904165
>Are there any tips or tricks at improving my ability to describe things?
Remember that the characters have (at least) five senses.
When there might be interesting sounds or smells, include them once in a while.
Every time gets to be too much.

>>52911085

I've tried that, I've done a variety of different systems and never garnered more than a modicum of engagement

>Exalted
>oWoD Changeling
>oWoD Mage
>D&D 3.5/PF, 4e, 5e
>Traveller
>GURPS

>>52911094
You are the one insisting on a hexcrawl, and all pnp games require abstraction.
What exactly were you expecting, anon, for the game to run itself? Shit like this is why the GM is here.
>>52911060
Most mats have 1"x1" squares.

>>52911135
Have they tried playing with anyone else? Maybe that's just what they're like as people

>>52911135
>all fairly high crunch systems
Why not run something low crunch?
Or honestly, look for different players. If the players you have are not engaging, they may simply be typical bear and pretzel players there to roll dice and fuck around, and that isn't exactly bad save when the GM is not.

>>52904259
If death is not a deterrent to taking stupid actions, then don't kill them.
Hurt them.
Disable them.
Make the natural consequences of their stupidity that they fail their task, lose resources, lose money, and lose what they do hold dear.

>>52904561
>if you could ask your PC's any questions, what would they be?
If you're just looking for character building questions, I cannot recommend enough the list of questions from the Complete Book of Villains.
It's a tad robust to expect a player to answer all of, but it's great to draw from.

I don't have just the list and the pdf of the book is too big for /tg/, but it's definitely worth finding.

The other anon is right about the dating questions making one think of erp.

I'm a new V:TM Storyteller.

Any good blogs about improving my gming, storylines, etc, not necessarily focused on oWoD?

Alternatively, Storyteller resources?

>>52911149
I was not being confrontational in any way, I thanked you, and I am so not expecting the game to run itself that I had to build up a ruleset for WFRP from zero just to allow this kind of game, to the point of overthinking it, like you stated.
I am just trying to see if there are workarounds I didn't think about.
Is it because of the /pol/ overflow in here that everyone is on edge?

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>>52911135
Let me go in the opposite direction from the other anon: what do YOU want to play?

GMing is an act of pure will. You take the most fundamental aspect of humanity, and mold a universe from it in your own image, you take the role of divinity and shape the future itself. This should not, no, it CANNOT be done by consulting others. You alone shape your destiny.

It will be hard. Others will force you to submit. They may tell you that you shouldn't do this or that or whatever. NO! You alone shape the destiny, you alone hold the power. Sieze it, and become that which you are meant to be!

>>52910998
>By cutting the chaff
Worst blow job advice ever.

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>>52902729
First time GM, gonna run Mutants and Masterminds for a few friends. They gave me their character sketches and we'll start stating/fleshing them out next time we meet, but should I consult with them about the setting and tone of the story or just throw them into it?

They made very quirky PCs with very particular powers so I want to give them a world that suits them. Pic semi-related.

>>52911808
This.

Only dialed down from 11.
If you are not engaged in the game you can't expect your players to be. You can't make the perfect game for them, just make the best game for you and try and make it as great as possible for them.

Also, the players cannot be engaged in the game if there's nothing to engage with.
If every item has a simple, clear purpose, there is little to engage with.
If every NPC has a clear role as a provider of help or conflict, there is little to engage with.
If every location has a singular, clear reason for you to be there, there is little to engage with. Complexity and mystery breed engagement.
Increase complexity until your players begin to get lost, then ease back a little into something simpler.
Find a balance.

>>52912424
>should I consult with them about the setting and tone of the story
Always.
Everyone needs to be on the same page.

That said, don't feel you need to get into specifics.
The PCs, the setting, and the start of the story should be able to be summed up like the back of a DVD.

>>52908103
Nice post anon, that's the true /tg/ spirit.

>>52912512
Will do, thanks. I'm a little intimidated since two of the players have years of experience in running and playing RPGs, while I only have maybe a few months of playing D&D to draw on.

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>>52908103
This is an excellent post. Handing out a free (You) for visibility

>>52903636
Thanks for the anti-help

>>52903915
Take a basic course on improv theater. Trust me, it's indispensable.

>>52902729
Why are players such shits?

I'm gonna run a short low magic campaign tomorrow, on short notice. What do you guys think of this for low magic? The players are tasked by a great magician to find out why a star has stopped shining. They find an old ruin with a hole in the ground in the middle of a sort of shrine and it turns out some creature is crawling through the hole from the other side of the world. Just my first bare bones idea. The sun shines through the hole and projects onto the sky when it's on the other side of the world.

Should it be more mundane? My idea is that the world is more strange than it appears, and I think my players would like that, but maybe it ruins the whole idea of low magic. I dunno.

I want to run a low fantasy game with a focus on exploring a small continent that is a former colony that has declared itself sovereign. The PCs are from factions that have some stake in stopping the rebellion. I normally do games focused on a single large city but want this one to be more like a hex crawl, as the noncolony groups only have very rudimentary maps and knowledge of the area. But what do I put in all the wilderness besides combat encounters to make it more than just long travel times between settlements and resource management?

>>52912809
>I'm gonna run a short low magic campaign tomorrow, on short notice
As long as you aren't using D&D, it will be fine.
>>52912820
Take into account weather, ruins, the necessity of locating food and water.

>>52912809
That sounds fantastic, anon.

>>52907673
>>52908103
While I like these descriptions, I wouldn't say they're the only way of doing it.

Personally, I'm quite fond of more minimalistic sentences that hinge on the "action" of what's there, rather than going too flowery with adjective spam. Not every object has to have personality to it - sometimes a bed can just be "a bed", and a statue can just be "a bronze statue of a king you don't recognise".

I'd use denser descriptions only when you really want to convey a mood or are trying to impress on the players the nature of a space or object.

For a slightly dodgy tavern without any plot points to it, I'd rather have a straightforward description like "there's a bed pushed up against the corner of the room, and moonlight is streaming through the curtain."

than

"There's a mouldering, broken down bed in the corner, where it looks like it's been pushed by some great force. Rotten curtains dangle from a threadbare rail over the window, which is little more than a frame and shards of glass - some of which probably belong to the bottle that broke it on the way out. Through those curtains does a glimmering moonlight fall, illuminating a dank mould on the floor."

It reads nice, sure, but it can feel rote and uninvolving if you do it for literally every room the PCs step into. Imagine going through that every time they moved.

>>52902858
Consider the definition of DMPC. It is not merely the DM puting a recurring NPC in with the party. It is the DM trying to DM, and also be a PC. In that case, never. You can't have your cake and fuck it too.

On the other hand, if you want to make a memorable NPC that will travel and fight with the party, that is fine. Just always remember that they are an NPC, and their survival and actions will be in service to your goals in setting up an entertaining experience for your players, not just 'to be a member of the party.' Have them avoid the spotlight, don't steal the party's thunder in combat, and don't have them volunteer courses of action in planning sessions. If your players get attached to, or respect his NPC, remember that's a vector to get at their feelings if they get killed, kidnapped, or have a problem that needs solving.

How do I handle a wizard who can do anything?

This is 3.5 and they're an archmage, so now they can basically do anything. Apparently they picked up a bunch of feats that let them cast spells spontaneously, so they can take enemies down to less than 0 dex in a single turn, or stop time and spend a few rounds buffing themselves up, or even just give enemies enough negative levels that they can't even do anything.

I don't want to just throw antimagic fields out everywhere because that might as well be saying 'nobody can be a wizard ever', but I also don't feel I can have my enemies build specifically against the wizard, because the wizard has mind blank and permenant arcane sight, so nobody can scry or spy.

>>52902729
Newbie DM here.
-Generally, how much should I prep?
-Any techniques I should know about (mostly prepping, improvisation, etc)
-Where can I find a compilation of tables and similar improv material?

If that helps, I'm going to be running The Witch Is Dead, then Phandelver, and finally a real campaign with Hoard of the dragon queen + Rise of Tiamat.
I also have very vague plans for a future setting involving (more or less) full fantasy shadowrunning in a merchant archipelago.

>>52914627
Surprise him? Invisible motherfuckers, motherfuckers jumping in from other planes, so on...
If he's as unbeatable as you claim it makes reasonable sense for intelligent enemies to target him first and try to put him out of action

>>52914791
I can't find the blog I read that went further on this, but the "Yes, and" is something you should always foster.

https://www.thoughtco.com/yes-and-improv-game-2713213

>>52914791
Do as much prep as you feel you need. Normally you'll know better after your first session, because you can see where you're weakest and prep in that direction.

Personally, mine is usually 15mins prep per hour of session, planning a few spare npcs, encounters and dungeons that I can throw at the players, then I just improv everything else.

>>52914627
You can't, not without invalidating the rest of the party, which is what >>52914842's method would end up doing. AMF's are just as bad, because unless your martials are initiators, they need their magic gear.
You have 2 routes: present challenges that can't be magic'd away, ie social situations and the like, or ask him to turn in his pc.

>>52914842
The problem is that with arcane sight he can see the aura of anything invisible that's related to spells or magic items. I ruled that he can't pinpoint the exact location- so they get full concealment- but he still can cast area spells.

As with jumping in from other planes, the problem is that with mind blank there's no actual way to see where he is through magic. The only thing I can actually think of would be to have a dude literally hidden in camouflage just to planeshift out or maybe signal a scrying enemy in another plane.

But yeah, I do tend to send people against him specifically, but even in the worst case he'll cast some Celerity+Timestop bullshit, or even abrupt jaunt away. He also spends his off-time summoning a bunch of dumb monsters- specifically asking to make sure they're not sophontic or thinking summons- and then buffing them a bunch and stuffing them inside of these genie bottle things with a spell. In an emergency he just shatters the vials on the ground and greater teleports to a safe spot he's warded to hell and back.

The only thing I can really think of that works is to have them and the rest of the players wander through a gauntlet until he's mostly out of spells, and prevent them from sleeping. Mind Blank doesn't do shit against people magically seeing the Mansion/Rope Trick/However they sleep. I just can't do that constantly or every single dungeon.

>>52914899
He's normally pretty good about avoiding using certain spells too much- I told him how problematic Enervates were and he stopped using them for a few weeks.

I might talk to him about making a new PC who isn't so bullshit and explain why he's making things so hard for me. Would it be a terrible idea to let him make a new character at the same level and same total amount of gold+magic items, but a completely different class? He's talked about making some kind of warlock crossed with a cleric who wants to 'eat god' as his next character, so would that end up too terrible?

>>52902858
when you make them idolize the real players and want to be like them, but for some reason having a hard time.

Why do I find it so awkward or conspicuous to have that ice breaker opening to start a new mission/quest?

I am going to doing a session on Sunday and the it's pretty much going to start with the players getting a letting and just agreeing to go for it. What's a good way to organically introduce the party to the next adventure?

>>52915389
Create a vested interest for the players. Perhaps a family member of the party is in the same place as the quest objective? Maybe mysterious whisperings also about the same town. A seemingly inconspicuous item a player looted from a body is connected to the new location. Players won't enjoy just getting sent from place to place with no explanation

In my experience with TTRPG's, players won't be interested in a whole lot of nuance. Be blunt, or else things will go over their head. It's not because they're ignorant or stupid, it's a limitation of the medium

>5e
How do you run a game that is supposed to be a lower power, more lethal/survival-y? That is, how do I get players invested in level 1 characters in a thiller-like environment? I realize that making this sort of game work is also very much in the hands of the players, and they said that they're on board with it, but what can I do on my end?
Is 5e even the right system for this? Can I make it work anyways?

>>52914791
I'd say prep some voices, generally imagine the locations they'll be going to, (What's of significance in the town? Oftentimes, however, players will fill in the blanks for you. E.g., "Is there a tavern/wizard/apothecary/brothel?" ) and maybe one or two encounters (Maybe about 30 minutes of prep?). I'm very comfortable with improv, however, so your mileage may vary.

>>52904646
Protip: they won't.

I am a fairly new DM. Any tips on quick referencing for subtle details?

>make characters with fleshed out accents and traits that my PCs say they enjoy
>they go off adventuring and a few sessions later they catch me off guard and return to an old location
>want to go to shop because they might buy that item now
>look back at old notes for shop keeper X and read "speaks: drawling Irish" or something
>go with the notes
>get laughed at for making them sound completely different to the first time around or "X sounds just like Y from Z town"

I suppose I am asking on how to keep things consistent. Is it just practice?

>>52916354
Turn it into a plot hook. A mischevious demon is swapping voices for his own nefarious ends

>>52916354
>>52916939
Next time it happens just say something like "Huh, that is interesting isn't it?"

Just to see the look on their faces would be worth it

So, the game is 3.5. Among other books, I've allowed the Expanded Psionics Handbook and Complete Psionics. That normally wouldn't be a problem (Though I allowed the players to go without the CPsi nerfs) except for one thing.

I also allowed Magic of Incarnum.

A certain specific player- a Wilder- decided he wanted to spend most of his time helping the other two psions in the group with the power Bestow Power. That was all fine and dandy. Even when he used Midnight Augmentation with two essentia in order to reduce the augmentation cost, making it cheap enough to grant more power points than he spent.
>3 cost, 2 granted
>4 cost, 4 granted
>5 cost, 6 granted
>6 cost, 8 granted
and so on. That means that at Manifestor Level 5 and on, he can grant other people more power points than he himself has.

I figured that might be a bit abusable, but he'd probably grow out of it as he was only basically acting as a mana battery.

Then he started making jokes about learning Schism and granting power points to himself. I put my foot down and said no- it only works on another character, not on yourself.

Then the erudite learned Bestow Power from him, and apparently is planning to grab Midnight Augmentation himself when he hits level 9. With that, they'll be able to have a positive feedback loop of infinite power.

Wat do? Should I put my foot down and say they can't do that? Because the Wilder specifically went out of his way to build his entire character to do essentia shenanigans, even making his race Azurin, and I don't like the idea of outright crippling a character's build.

I'm thinking maybe I should rule that power granted by Bestow Power can't be used to fuel Bestow Power, but that would just result in a ton of extra bookkeeping.

>>52911560
https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/usa/new-york?month=10&year=2014
http://thenewminus.imgur.com/
www.seventhsanctum.com/generate.php?Genname=vampnamer
https://web.archive.org/web/20160407225303/http://rp.thesubnet.com/

I have these all ready for when I GM.

>>52915731
>Is 5e even the right system for this?
No, and anything you do will be poorer for it.

>>52917365
Like most things power point based, limit the points granted to manifester level, no exceptions.

>>52917498
Of course I do. That's the first thing I mentioned when I found out most of my players wanted to be psionic, since it's a rule people seem to ignore or forget. I'm pretty sure that's why the wilder became a wilder in the first place- for the wild surge.

It's just like... imagine a group of wizards had an infinite amount of pearls of power, essentially, they just had to take a few full-round actions to eat as many as they can take, and never, ever ran out as long as one of the wizards were smart enough to leave at least a 3rd-level slot open.

At least they didn't use Midnight Augmentation on Astral Construct. That would have been terrifying- able to create a 19HD astral construct with only an ML of 9 would have been bad, to say the least.

>>52903915
If you have to improvise, keep it simple and remember that cliché is ok (if you don't overuse it).

The PC ask something to a local peasant and you did not expect it?
>pick a few distinctive traits and play it like a really cliché peasant: strong accent, common sense mixed with superstitions, etc. And no need to add a thousand details, just tell them his age and one detail: he smells, he has a harelip, whatever.
If you don't like improvisation, make yourself a quick table for details for random NPC, or take one that exists.

The PC enters a random shop and discusses with the shopkeeper?
>again, cliché: either the shopkeeper is obsequious, or he is super greedy. Again, very few details, except for one very eye-catching: he

If PC always encounter cliché NPC, they will get bored, so keep that for the few NPC you'll have to make on the spot. Prepare the others and surprise them: the shopkeeper is a 9 years old girl that keeps the store for her parents for a few minutes, but she is far from being gullible and is in fact a seasoned bargainer. The peasant is not ignorant and has traveled a bit when he was young, or he is not a coward and will gladfully lead the PC to the bandits' camp.


If your NPC are interesting, I tend to think PCs will refrain from murderhoboing. Save from a few assholes, players derail things and burn towns for no reason only when they are bored or think their world is not real/has only shallow inhabitants

>>52917428
Pretty gr8, anon. Thank you.

>>52911274
this

And another lead: humiliate them, and then give them a possibility to overcome this humiliation: they insulted the king? He makes them do a walk of shame across town and they receive rotten tomatoes and cauliflowers. People then despise them, kids point fingers at them, giggle, sometimes throw them rocks at them and can't be caught (and if they catch one, what are they gonna do about him?)
Then, if they do something the right way, make them receive random act of kindness: one of their colleagues compliment them about that last time, when they totally outsmarted this opponent instead of rushing like retards and offer them a beer.

You tried to kill them and it did not work. They know they can die easily but they have no strong bonds and nothing to lose with their characters. You can keep your dark, dangerous setting, but try to tone it down and to hurt them, humiliate them and piss them off instead for a bit when they make mistakes or act stupidly.
And don't forget to reward them when one of them decide to get his shit together and act smart: even if you did not plan to have a backdoor, add one if a PC makes a quick tour around the building to see if there is one. They try to ambush a strong ennemy instead of facing him in open field? Give them bonuses.
In the beginning, take them by hand and have a heavy hand on the rewards (even if it is just compliments, or trivial things).
After a while, make the threats more dangerous: if they have something to lose (be a piece of equipment, a love story ongoing with a local girl, a few friends amongst the population), they should be more careful and do less stupid shit.

If they don't, consider changing the system (or the players), there are plenty of games where you can do stupid shit.

>>52915731
>Voices
Thank you, I hadn't considered these, but I'll need them.

>>52913055
Oh certainly. I did try to encourage brevity in my post, sorry if that didn't go through. Three sentences is what I tend to make my maximum for descriptions, and only if that scene is important. Otherwise it's a relatively simple one like you say, "you enter a messy room," "the tomb is cramped and dusty with a sarcophagus in the centre" etc.

My point was trying to maximise impact in as few sentences as possible specifically to avoid tiring out your players.

>>52902858
kys already. You are already playing EVERY fucking NPC, you don't need to play in the party too.

When they have to join an NPC, I make the group decide who is going to control that NPC while in combat. Out of combat I control him but he never interjects with the party's duty or doings, and he is always weaker than all the party members(which is why he needs the party's help to begin with)

So fuck DMs that need to add their special snowflake character into the party.

>>52903896
Chillax dude, if you are all bros having fun it will be fine. Ask them how they feel after the session is over, explaining to them you have no idea what you are doing but you are trying hard.

How do I stop the charisma cuck that practically Jedi control NPCs using diplomacy for everything while getting lucky with the dice?

>>52916354
Just write down more notes, thats the simplest method. Write down what figures you tell them, names, dates etc

If your problem is keeping voices consistent, don't write the actual names of accents unless you're like a dialect coach and actually know all the names. Instead, write down a character you got that accent from. You'll instantly know which voice it is. For example I don't write down "Irish accent" since there's a lot of different ones and those can vary based on characterisation as well. Instead I write "bomb guy from Sin City," or "Owen Slater from Boardwalk Empire" then I instantly know which Irish accent I'm using.

How do I into character personalities?

How do I buff a PC in a single player / 1 on 1 campaign in 5e? It was much easier to give buffed items and stats in PFSRD, but with bounded accuracy, even a small nudge can completely tip them over the edge.

I don't want to give them GMPC's at all. They're playing a paladin, homebrew is more than okay.

>>52921276
This, how do I use adjectives? I fall short there.

>>52921230
High charisma is NOT mind control. There is actual magic for that. Seriously, it doesn't matter how high someone's charisma is, if they tell me to wear a sombrero in a goofy faction, stomp around in clown shoes, wear a hoop skirt, and eat cubed cheese, I'll tell them to fuck off, no matter how high they roll. Don't treat NPCs as stat blocks, treat them as people. People have their own motivations, and their own grievances.
>>52921276
Wat?
>>52921366
Just remember that CR is for a party of 4-5 players, so take a CR and quarter it, if you're going to go for combat. Regardless, gear the campaign towards the character's skills. Giving them access to allies isn't the same as forcing GMPCs in, it stands to reason a Paladin would have contacts in his order.

Is 'doing voices' for NPCs absolutely necessary? I'm not entirely terrible at social interactions, but I completely freeze up whenever I try to perform an accent or another voice in front of other people, even those I know and trust well. Is it acceptable to narrate and describe dialogue instead?

>>52922079
Of course. The only people who'll get really upset about it are cunts you don't want to play with.

>>52921230
Tell him 'No, that doesn't happen'. As >>52921647 said, Charisma, whether that's Intimidate, Diplomacy, Persuade, whatever, isn't dependent upon the roll. It's call Charisma, not Mind Domination. It's how likeable a character is, or how well they can act intimidating or persuasive. If he rolls a 20, and he's trying to persuade someone to shoot themselves in the head, I wouldn't go through with it, unless the NPC is under some sort of narcotic that makes them highly suggestible or something like that.

The events that surround the NPC when making a Charisma roll are just as important as the roll itself. A Persuade roll to make an NPC take their own life is more likely to succeed on an NPC that has lost their job, their partner left them, taking the kids, their house is getting repossessed, their dog just died, and he's just used up the last of his savings, than on an NPC who just got a promotion and married his childhood sweetheart who just happened to be a 10/10, and his dog just had puppies.

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Not a call for help but a general critique
>Dming IRL after several (failed) online attempts
>start party at level 6 (3.5)
>give em a tourney to feel out combat and their characters (3 new players 1 veteran 2 intermediate)
>been running the game as a world i've written up facts about the world and dropped them in sandbox style and am building a world around them
>6 sessions in. Finally out of starting city with main quest
>Thought we would cover that in 1 or 2 sessions at most
Am i doing something wrong?

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>>52922484
Depends, are they entertained? I have spent whole sessions just shopping and talking to NPCs.

>>52922484
Nope. Things go at whatever pace they go at. If the players are taking longer with something than you thought they would 90% of the time that's a good thing because it means that they're being engaged by and engaging with the world around them

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>>52922552
They mostly seem entertained. The newest player (stepbrother) seems aggravatingly uninterested besides stealing everything he can. and the wife seems interested but uninterested, the other 4 players are all fine. and i suppose i was throwing around a lot of RP (3 SEPARATE DRINKING CONTESTS MOTHERFUCKER) and NPCs (i totally don't have a child Monk with the were ape template running around and he totally is not kid goku) Also two players have knocked up 3 separate women (2 for the half dragon 1 for the half Minotaur)

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So I have many games I want to run and I'm afraid of wasting a group on a suboptimal system/setting.

What should I run?

>D&D 5e game set in fantasy greece
>Bubblegum Crisis game, system tbd
>Hokuto no Ken game, system tbd
>JoJo game set in Italy 2010, with homebrew system
>Cowboy Bebop game, system tbd
>Overwatch game, system tbd
>Shin Megami Tensei game, system tbd

>>52922634
>Bubblegum Crisis game, system tbd
There's actually a BGC RPG.

Novice DM with an emergency here.

>4th session
>4 characters about a 3rd through Mines of Phandelver
>Everyone was having fun but some start to seem bored
>Elven Ranger deliberately sidetracks conversation, finds it "more fun to just hang out and talk"
>As a result we move at a snails pace, barely anything gets done and everyone forgets the cool shit between our long breaks due to work
>Human Wizard actually wants to play the game
>Dwarven Cleric wants to play the game to murder hobo it up
>Halfling Rogue goes off on his own
>The only thing keeping them invested was I threw a Deck of Many Things at them in hopes that it would either kill them off or spark actual interest in the game

Long story short not sure if I'm a shit DM or not but if not these guys are the only people in town who want to play.

>>52922678
Is it any good?

>>52922079
Nope, it'll just be worse if you try to nervously do an accent you can do.

That said, there are other ways you can convey a character's personality/background without using accents. Just volume can make a big difference, slightly higher of lower pitches as well. Mannerisms and speech patterns. If you're willing, you can change your physical posture as well to be more engaging. I would rather have a DM that does all of these (easy) things than one that's using the session as a voice acting audition.

>>52922702
How do you feel about Fuzion?

>>52922484
That happens sometimes. My group is the same. Something I think they'd bash through in two sessions ends up taking twice or three times as long. And at one game a week, that is a LONG goddamn time.

As long as you're all having fun, there shouldn't be an issue.

So, the players in my game are pretty familiar with D&D, so I'm thinking I'm going to give them a Deck of Many Small Things just to freak them out. It identifies as a CL 20 Deck of Many Things, but it's just a gimmick joke deck.

Stuff like 'the fates' lets you immediately reroll any dice or card draw once... within the game. So if your character is rolling dice, you can reroll it. Specifically doesn't work with the Deck of Many Small Things.

Or the Fool forcing the character who drew it to make a will save... and no matter what they roll, the GM just chuckles menacingly and refuses to explain what happens. It does nothing, of course.

I think it would be funny.

>>52923162
This sounds great and probably what I should've done in my campaign.

>>52922839
Never tried it, but seems fine.

>>52922692
Sounds like its time for a serious discussion when you are all together, and discuss if they want to continue playing, or perhaps ask them before that if there is something they would you to do.

Just a couple cents.

I'm having trouble roleplaying a certain kind of NPC. Things like sniveling cowards, people begging for mercy, submissive slaves or servants, prostitutes, stuff like that.

If I'm typing out ideas and conversation snippets I can do it with a bit of effort, but when it comes time to actually act it out on the table, shit's pretty embarrassing.

Are there any tricks to roleplaying (or getting around) NPCs that are embarrassing or uncomfortable to roleplay?

>>52923184
>Jester: This card allows you to take up to two more cards from the deck, regardless of the deck's normal time limits. All of the cards drawn due to Jester, however, will always be another Jester.
>Key: A +1 paper weapon appears in the target's hand. This weapon deals only 1 point of damage, but writing on the weapon can give it an effect. Writing 'keen' on the side of a paper sword gives it the Keen enchantment. Furthermore, it can bypass DR such as 'magic', 'cold iron', or 'silver' if this is written on the weapon. Only +1 Weapon Bonus or materials can be written on, and you must scribble out each entry before adding another. However, the weapon is sundered upon taking any amount of damage, drenched in water, or exposed to flame. So for god's sake, don't write '+1 Flaming' on it.
>Fool: The target must make a Will Save. No matter the result, the DM should chuckle ominously- as if something terrible is going to happen to the character who drew this card- and not explain what the check was made for. Nothing happens.
>Knight: A very small clockwork knight appears, with a key stuck into its back. It is treated a Tiny Animated Object, and must be wound once every 1d4 hours. It obeys the holder of the key without question.

>>52922692
>>Elven Ranger deliberately sidetracks conversation, finds it "more fun to just hang out and talk"
I have a serious problem with this, t kinda triggers me, so I might not be the most objective.
I set aside the first half hour to ease into the game, chit chat, allow for lateness, and generally settle in.
But then we play.
But I'm not a teenager or bored in my early twenties.
I am setting aside time to enjoy my hobby, so that is what I am there to do.
I would recommend talking to the elven ranger player to find out why he is even there if he doesn't want to play.

I don't hate fun or random jokes and I don't consider gaming "serious business".
But I'm there to game, not fart around.

>>52923457
>>52923184
>>52923162
So, I finished up the deck of many small things.

Here it is:
>>https://pastebin.com/gDdDnZMX

>>52923374
Well, if you really can't "get into character", one option is to simply summarize/describe what they say to the players.
>The Courtesan gazes at you amorously and suggests you continue this conversation in her bedchamber.
>The general grovels on the ground and pleads
for his life, his lower lip wobbling uncontrollably.

Other than that, what about it is uncomfortable to roleplay exactly?
>>52915389
>>52915389
Making the players part of an organization or having a shared, trusted friend who's requests they'd follow is good. Not much use arguing orders from your commander, after all. If they're mercenaries, just have a job posting with a reward and say "you all realize this is the best contract available."
Also, tying in back story hooks is good. "You've heard rumors that the Knight captured by the Ogres once fought side by side with your old nemesis, Lord Dreadheart. Perhaps rescuing him will bring you closer to your revenge!!"
>>52914791
I usually spend about an hour, tops, jotting down notes for a session. If there's a particularly elaborate bit of narration, I write it down, but otherwise I find bullet points are good. Remember that the players are the stars of the show. You can have a lot of fun giving them a vague hint and seeing where they go with it, improvising along the way.
For DnD, encounter balance can be tricky, but since you're starting with canned adventures you should get a knack for what works and what doesn't.

>>52924268
>summarize/describe what they say to the players.

Can confirm. When my players went in search of the slummiest red-light district they could find, I was not about to do a voice for every half-orc hooker they talked to along the docks. Describing what they say and how they say it can work just as well as talking, and in fact better if they're talking some other language.

Never ever ever expect your campaign to survive contact with your PCs.

You will need to change things.

I've never Dm'd before and I've played about 40ish campaigns long and short. Anyhow I've been thinking a lot about hosting a game some time but I'm really worried about railroading my pc's. I feel like I'm decent at making characters and a world, but not a very great story teller, so I figure the best way to get better is to practice.
For my first game I was thinking about hosting a high level evil campaign because most of the ones we do are the opposite of that and I want to do something different. Are there any challenges I should be aware of with a campaign like this or tips to avoid railroading in general?

>>52925837
>For my first game I was thinking about hosting a high level evil campaign
High level is difficult because there are so many more things the characters can do. Evil is difficult because there is often intra-party intrigue, and even if there isn't, it can be difficult to keep the game on any sort of track, as the PCs aimlessly butcher and wreak destruction with little or no purpose.

Also, people tend to worry way too much about railroading. It's okay to have a mission scenario you put the PCs through. You can actually talk to the players beforehand and see if they'd be interested in doing X sort of scenario (raiding ruins for treasure, or whatever), and after that, that's what the adventure is about (allowing you to focus your preparation). Just don't tightly script your shit, because shit won't unfold the way you want it to, and you'll be forced to throw up your hands in defeat, or to try to hem in the players, which is worse. Don't throw obstacles in front of the players, trying to force them to go the direction you want them to, but feel free to adapt things on the fly, so that they better fit the way things are unfolding. If you really need them to run into bandits... well, it's generally better if you don't design too many things like that, but if you do... then whichever direction they go, that's where the bandits are (just make sure it seems natural and the players can't tell what you're doing -- they need to not feel like their agency has been diminished).

>>52926589
>>52925837
Usually, I design my plots in floating points with inclinations rather tightly connected flowcharts. It's sort of like everything is in a fuzzy, brainstorm sort of state, like before you actually write out the script for your movie, and everything is just ideas (and is still a bit fluid -- the woodsman could well know about the bandits, but if it would work better if he didn't when the time comes, then he doesn't). Beyond that, if there are important plot points that need developing, I make sure that there are at least 2 different ways they could easily be advanced. That way, your game isn't thrown when the PCs refuse to work with the one guy who could impart the information they need to know.

But honestly, I wouldn't get too fancy your first time out. Go for a fairly straightforward loot the dungeon and/or fight the menacing monsters sort of scenario. You can have potential subplots and shit, but ultimately none of that is necessary to the core mission.

>>52925837
>For my first game I was thinking about hosting a high level evil campaign
>my first game
>Are there any challenges I should be aware of

Yes; you've picked literally the most challenging and difficult type of campaign to run. You need to learn to walk before you run, and certainly before you try to do a fucking marathon on crutches.

>>52902858
there are things you can do to make a DMPC seem less obtrusive. First, don't think of them as a DMPC. They aren't your character; they're just an NPC with a larger role than most. Second, make sure they don't overshadow the PCs. They shouldn't always have the answer, or be smarter or wiser than the PCs. They shouldn't be more powerful than the PCs (it's probably safest if you make them at least a bit weaker, in fact). They shouldn't get more "screen time" than the PCs. In most cases, it's best if you understate their role a bit, and maybe have them fade into the woodwork a bit.

The danger is that you identify with your NPC too much, and bend things around to protect them, or let them succeed or be awesome. Also, you know everything about the world and evaluate character actions according to what you think is smart, so it's very easy for you to always take the sensible action with your NPC, effectively giving them a bonus the PCs can't expect. Your NPC does the right thing, gets a situational bonus as a result (or at least doesn't get penalized for doing something stupid like the PCs will sometimes do, at least from your perspective), and becomes the golden child of your adventure. This is one reason that underpowering them can be a good idea. It can help negate any unconscious biases you have towards them, or any reflexive advantages they have.

And that's really all there is to it. As long as you do a decent job of avoiding pitfalls like those, there shouldn't be any problem of you including an NPC in the party. I honestly find it very helpful to have one there to occasionally state the obvious (which the players may have overlooked due to miscommunication, tunnel vision, distraction, or a collective brain-fart), or to help keep conversations going. When I have an NPC impart important information (something I'm careful not to do too often), it's generally as a "What about this thing, guys? Does this mean anything?" sort of thing...

>>52925837
Something you might want to keep in mind about high-level campaigns is that at around level 13+, the players begin getting access to 7th level spells, which can really free the players up to do anything. Instantly teleport elsewhere, get out of trouble for free, bring eachother back to life, etc. Depending on the system you're using, there might be a lot of advice out there. For 3.5, for example, Complete Arcane (pg. 169) has a section for spell abuse, and the DMG (pg. 135) is about high-level characters. None of the advice is mechanical, so you might want to read it over even if it's a completely different system.

One recommendation I have for managing the players and keeping them from stabbing eachother's backs is to give them all a Master- some kind of dark god who granted each of them powers and treasure, in exchange for doing missions for it. And if someone stabs another party member in the back, literally or figuratively, the Master will be extremely displeased- possibly cursing the aggressor. That can also be a plot hook for the players- He can give them prophetic dreams as to what to do next, if they're stuck or have nothing to do. And if they're not stuck, then he can just smile and let them do their dirty work, confident that they'll bring him back to life eventually.

>>52926754
>When I have an NPC impart important information (something I'm careful not to do too often), it's generally as a "What about this thing, guys? Does this mean anything?" sort of thing...
...where the NPC is drawing the PCs' attention to something and waiting for their decision, the way you might point out to your boss that there's a technical problem, and await their decision on what to do about it.

Of course, having too many people in the party can slow things down, so if there are more than 4 PCs, I generally don't include an NPC. With 3 PCs, it's rare that I don't throw in an NPC, or possibly 2.

>>52915389
>I am going to doing a session on Sunday and the it's pretty much going to start with the players getting a letting and just agreeing to go for it. What's a good way to organically introduce the party to the next adventure?
Your question is at cross-purposes to itself. If you have a specific adventure planned for the next session, then that is what the next session is about. If you give your players the option to choose what they do next, you are giving them the impression that you have prepared content to cover all available options.

If the quest you've prepared is what happens next, then the next session begins at camp as the characters reflect on the task they've agreed to and the road ahead of them. Better yet it begins at the entrance to the cave/dungeon/tomb/forest/keep/wherever it is they've been sent to.

Game sessions have a finite amount of time that can be used. Don't squander it on the minutia of how and when everybody arrived at the plot; just start with the plot.

I've got my players chasing their villain around cities at the moment, the villain always being a step ahead and their mysterious powers slowly growing as they flee. Problem is, the players don't seem to be interested in investigating the powers or their origin, and are dead set on just following the guy from city to city. What are some good ways to persuade them to call off the chase temporarily and do a little investigating, without just making the trail go completely cold?

>>52926754
>They shouldn't be more powerful than the PCs (it's probably safest if you make them at least a bit weaker, in fact).
That may work for your group. It doesn't for mine, at least if power is strongly tied to survivability. A lower level NPC will die if they're even nearby when combat starts. Hundred percent. Which was cool the first time to emphasize lethality and danger, but eventually it's just a constant roadblock. If you have an NPC in combat, do the following
1) Roleplay it even when fighting. It's never been on an adventure before? Give it saves against being shaken or frightened when shit gets real. Stupidly heroic paladin type? He's not likely to fight smart. This will distinguish him from PCs, who, even when they are great roleplayers, drop the act when combat is up. Player play games. GMs play roles.
2)Build for "support" in a broad sense. Your players likely have at least one character and probably several that can rip level appropriate dragons apart in a single full attack. This is not the NPC's role. Shun it. His job is to shine the PC's shoes and hand them ammo. No really handing them consumables is a great use of an NPC, let him use his actions pulling that stuff out of a backpack when the PCs have more important things to do with every second. I personally like giving them Aid Anothers to assist defenses, or tanky builds that can step between the baddies and a wounded PC that needs a sec to drink a potion or something, before falling back to a stupid weapon loadout when safe. Only use buff types PCs don't have
3)Don't actually play the NPC for real in combat when you can avoid it. It's a good time to fake rolls and ignore math to move things faster. Have it barricading a door or shoring a defense, put some mooks around him and say he's occupied. Maybe roll arbitrary damage done to him after the fact. When you know an encounter is coming and it's not any kind of important or helpful to have him around, have him walk in another room/occupied.

>>52926860
Honestly, just give them what they want. Let them kill the villain- and as he dies, reveal that there's an even bigger and badder villain- the BBEG- behind the scenes, all part of a nefarious plan to take their mysterious powers. Give them a few hints to figure out what's up with their powers- in the letter they find or whatever- and all but force them to investigate things before they can find the real villain.

>>52926891
I've done that twice already leading up to this villain. I think its a trick I can't really repeat again.

>>52926860
Why do the players need to stop and do some investigating?

If they're intent on following the bad guy on his world tour, that should indicate to you that they don't see any need for or benefit to halting the chase to play detective.

>>52926914
In that case, make him demonstrate his *own* mysterious powers during the next confrontation. Something like the complete opposite of theirs, powerful enough to negate their attacks. And then he mocks them, mocks them hard for being such idiots as to not even try to understand the power they've grasped. Then, as he laughs, he teleports away. Teleporting away means there's no trail for them to follow, not until he's spotted in a nearby town, and they're obliged to figure out their powers- and perhaps a weakness to his.

>>52926917
Because at this rate they will literally never catch him. They're not being smart about it, they're just getting on a boat to wherever he went, and then when they get there he's already moved on.

They also fall for the simplest tricks because hey, no investigation. A guy approached them whilst they were questioning some sailors and just offered to tell them (obviously he'd been bribed and was pointing them the wrong way). They just went 'cool,thanks' and moved on.

Plus the bossfight loses a bit of weight when every power the guy uses seems like some massive asspull on my part because they don't know what he's up to.

>>52926877
>That may work for your group. It doesn't for mine, at least if power is strongly tied to survivability.
An NPC being durable is rarely going to be a problem. It's a passive sort of thing and unless their durability is very high indeed, it needn't change the way they interact with the world. I was thinking more of active power.

>A lower level NPC will die if they're even nearby when combat starts.
They don't need to be weaklings; but if they're a step or two behind PCs, that can help ensure that PCs get the spotlight. What does that mean? Certainly being behind by a level or two can work (you can always give them an unusually high number of hit points for their level, if you're concerned about them dying), but even just having less impressive attributes can make a difference.

>Don't actually play the NPC for real in combat when you can avoid it.
Or at least be willing to take shortcuts.

>>52926987
Introduce some kind of countdown. Have them fucking trip over a clue that lets them know about it, even if it's as camp as being handed a letter from a major NPC they've never heard of that spells it out for them.

>Lord Humongous is trying to summon Narsie! Even with the proper ritual Narsie can only be summoned on the Sixteenth Day of Swords, sothe meantime Humongous is going around collecting all the MacGuffins he needs
>The Sixteenth Day of Swords is thirty-two days from today

From there, make sure the players always know what day it is and how many days they'll lose in transit if they hop on a boat to go chasing after him. At worst they'll eventually run out the clock and have fewer days remaining than it would take to go to the next stop.

>>52927061
Hmm, I was trying to think of something less on the nose than that, but you gotta do what you gotta do I guess.

>>52908971

Fucking Rosa

One of my player characters has canonically fucked the BBEG in the ass.
Next session will be their first time seeing eachother again since then.
How should she act towards him?

>>52928050
I'd say that entirely depends on how said ass-fucking came about. Was it consensual? Was it good for both of them? Was it a casual, one time thing or part of a long term relationship? Did it directly to the BBEG being the BBEG?

>>52928158
Dubiously consensual at the time, but she now regrets it.
It was a one time thing but not exactly casual.
He rolled a nat 20 on the buttfuck, so it was pretty good.

>>52928050
>>52928173
And this is why you don't play FATAL

>>52928173
Still too hard to tell as it depends on the personalities and histories of the characters involved but I'm going to sleep so I'm going to suggest either acting like an adult and ignoring it (or making jokes about it), use it as ammo to belittle and insult the player, or go full SJW and claim rape and go for sympathy or something.

Pick one depending on personality and situation.

Referring back to a Champions (superhero) GM's PoV, there are several forms of NPC.

One panel-Someone who shows up for a single line and vanishes back into the background. EX: Look! Up in the sky!

One page/scene-Still not named (generally), but has a plot advancement role. EX: Low end would be the guy who cuts the gate in the fence, with High end being James Bond's Q.

Spear carriers-Background agents through Star Trek 'red shirts' who may or may not get named, but will be 'around' for the adventure's end...maybe. Few do more than demonstrate how dangerous an action is. EX: Last fight of Saving Private Ryan, the soldiers attacking the tank with 'sock-bombs'.

Supporting roles-Fill ins and un-credited actors. Technicians, drivers, crewmen, wise old mentors, etc that (awfully) exist for the purpose of moving the plotline ahead, but often die to save on the budget or avoid having to account for them later. EX: Obi-Wan.

Sidekicks-Named and developed to a degree, but not meant to EVER upstage the HERO! (Heroine! either). Serves as exposition or aids the main character, either as a compliment to the heroic role (rare), to provide a supporting set of skills that vary from the hero to some degree all the way to 'wizard' (divergent abilities from hero) or fool (comic relief), providing 'foreshadowed solutions' to oddball problems (the wizard in the first Conan movie) or showing just how tuf the hero is by failing at tasks the hero blows through.

The last (two), the real NPC (NPC!) that the GM runs to fill in a missing job rather than rework the game plan. The more powerful NPC! is usually the mentor/job giver, but not always. The 'real' super in Mystery Men is the best example of a good way to use a more powerful NPC! without letting him rule. Releasing an imprisoned/sleeping/etc NPC! that is the entire goal of the adventure is a trope I hate, but have used, but check out the end of Dark Crystal for a variant.

Ancient advice: Run your GM-PCs at the Cohort level only.

Me and my players are starting 2E soon and we want to use a large established campaign setting. Personally I haven't used any of them so I wanted some recommendations.

Dark Sun and Planescape might be a little too grimdark and gritty for them.
Forgotten Realms seems a little generic but will probably give them the kind of an adventure they want. I also own some books for it (Campaign Setting box, Anauroch, Dreams of the Red Wizards).
I don't know too much about it, but I own a lot of Lankhmar stuff from a lot I bought (10 books, mostly modules).

Those aren't the only settings we would consider, but that's the preliminary research I've done.

>>52931269
Greyhawk, it's the OG setting, with lots of material, but none of the overuse of Forgotten Realms.
Also, Planescape isn't really grimdark, especially compared to Dark Sun. However, it can be a bit topsy-turvy, especially if you already know your party enjoys the kind of adventures FR can provide.

This seems like the most appropriate thread for this:
What's the best premade adventure set/story set you've ran before? Ive never dmed and I'm worried about coming up with something that's not good so I think a premade quest line would be nice. It can be any system as well because my group has already expressed interest in playing something other than D&D 5e .

>>52931748
System? Genre?

>>52932599
My friends "say" that their willing to play a different system than 5e so I'd be fine with anything. Genre wise? Hmm I don't actually know. Not romance.

File: cthulhu-elderthingspenguins.jpg (107KB, 1024x683px) Image search: [Google]

107KB, 1024x683px

>>52932721
Well since you haven't given any specifications other than "not 5e" the "best premade adventure set/story" I've ever ran is Beyond the Mountains of Madness for Call of Cthulhu.

The book is five hundred pages of slow-burning investigation and cosmic horror. It took about six months to run.

With a game that has exploding dice, like you get a 6 on a d6 and get to add another for to the dice pool you're rolling, is it better to have a larger pool of smaller dice, or a smaller pool of bigger dice? For example, would be better to roll 4d4s or 2d10s?

>>52932838
Thanks babe

>>52932943
I'd prefer large pools of d4s cause its easier to get more dice, but with d10s any extra die have the possiblity to be as damaging as 3 extra d4s, so its mostly up to preference

>>52932943
They have actually a very different curve:
http://anydice.com/program/b7af

Currently DMing a new group. I want to teach 'em about "non linear combat" as in, combat where just smacking the closest thing wont do.
I thought of the following encounter. They wander into the library of a powerful sorceror. He currently is not there but his familiars/mascots guard the place. One of them possesses one of the characters and makes it fight the rest of the party. That way they don't want to attack their party member, they have to dodge around and kill the body of the familiar to stop the possesion without hurting the dude.
What do you think? Also what kind of monster could do this? Any tips on setting it up?

>>52903915
I tend to blatantly plagiarize quick n dirty npcs from books. A few notables ive lifted are Cut Me Own Throat Dibbler for an unexpected battle of haggling, and the Lieutenant from The Black Company for a bandit leader.

A good rule is a few solid traits, and simplistic.

>>52933380
Too much planning here. I don't know your group but this
>That way they don't want to attack their party member
is a big ol' assumption.

>>52933380
Possessing a party member tends to end up pretty bad. Hurt feelings, the player who the character belongs to has nothing to do, and there's always the possibility that they'll just kill the possessed character.

Maybe instead it's a huge regenerating monster that's absorbing life from a bunch of magic artifacts. Then the characters can run around destroying artifacts.

>>52933380
It's probably easier to subdue the possessed PC and heal him later in most systems that allow for this stuff in the first place.

What you want to do instead is some kind of officer in the back calling the shots. The officer is out of reach and using cover, but wimpy in actual combat. However, every turn, he will shout an order to some out-of-reach archers or something along those lines.
I used a bunch of goblin archers in 5E for that the other day. It nearly TPK'd the party.

You could also try some kind of lich/vampiric thingy that absorbs the souls of its minions as they die to grow stronger.

>>52904559
Which DM hurt you? That's not railroading. Just because an immensely powerful NPC got insulted doesn't mean he kills person and salts their family farm.

>>52933380

I did this once. It ended with the necromancer getting his mouth stuffed with dirty orc panties and then having the beastmaster's spider seal it with webbing. The necromancer still plots his revenge. Don't do it Anon.

>>52933380
This has bad idea written all over it. That PC is going to end up subdued or dead.

Better idea would probably be an encounter where the melee enemies are very strong until the party does something, like break a crystal or remove another creature that's buffing the melee fighters. Make sure to hint at the solution beforehand so they don't have to think it up in the middle of combat, because that's not going to work.

>>52933380
>>52939569
Q: What is the best way to engineer a party wipe?
A: Design an encounter that the party must run away from to survive.

>>52933479
>the Lieutenant from The Black Company for a bandit leader

Who *is* he, though. The Captain was pretty fleshed out. The Lieutenant, I remember as a siege specialist, and that's about it.

has anyone here played a heist adventure?
im trying to create one and i need some tips

the vault was originally made bya very powerful mage who covered it in Halaster's Teleport Cage to prevent teleportation and the walls are covered in lead to prevent scrying.
the vault has been taken over by some criminal noble and the PCs need to steal something from there while taking some of the fortune for themselves.

all high level defense system of the mage has been destroyed or expended, all other defense system were put in place by the current owner (balanced CR)
i was planning on giving them 30 days for preparation so the heist takes place on a festival when the owner has to leave and take their strongest guard to the celebration. The quest giver will try to create commotions around the city to take some heat off the heist and distract the city guards

i need some ideas for the preparation phase, current ones are:

Disable thug that will be defending the place
Make a deal or disable somehow the district guards to hamper them during the heist

>>52924117
Bitchin.

>Ruin: After drawing this card, a single item you now own is immediately and irrevocably destroyed. This item is always the Ruin card.
kek

Players have just gained the service of a higher level NPC to guide them through a dangerous wilderness. How can I show the party the NPC's strength and superiority to them in power level without completely overshadowing the players? Bearing in mind that these players are not very good at teamwork or strategising.